Proerna. Lot of 2 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 721. Estimate $100.
Sold for $900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of 2 coins.

(721.1) THESSALY, Proerna. 3rd century BC. Æ Dichalkon (15mm, 2.47 g, 12h). Head of nymph facing, her head turned slightly to the r., border of dots / [ΠPOEPNIΩN] r. down, Demeter, veiled, standing facing, her head l., long torch standing upright on her l., wheat ears in her r. hand; in lower field l., AΔ. This variety not found in the consulted reference literature. Good Fine, green patina with bronze surfaces showing at the high relief points.


The two letters in the field l. have obviously nothing to do with Phthia but they could refer to the connection of Demeter (Δ for ΔHMHTHP) with the fertility of the earth. Because of the grains the goddess has in her hand, the A would stand for ANEΣIΔΩPA (Anesidora, sending up gifts from the earth, was one of Demeter’s epithets). It could well be that this particular variety with AΔ was struck at a time when the harvest was not up to expectations, as a special plea to the goddess.

(721.2) THESSALY, Proerna. 3rd century BC. Æ Chalkous (14mm, 2.41 g, 12h). Head of nymph facing, her head turned slightly to the r., wearing pearl necklace and hair band; border of dots / [ΠPOEPN]IΩN r. up, Demeter, standing facing, her head l., holding long torch in her l. and wheat ears in her r., in field l., crow standing r. This variety not found in the consulted reference literature. Good Fine, green patina with small areas of red on the reverse.

The bird standing r. on the reverse of this coin could of course be a dove or an eagle or any other bird but this writer thinks it is more likely to be a crow, as the Thessalian fields are nowadays full of them. Placing a crow next to Demeter on a coin struck by a small polis dependent on agriculture could be an attempt to exorcise the prospects of a poor harvest. See also above, lots 119 and 120.2 for several Krannon coins featuring various shapes and sizes of Thessalian crows.

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